The two kinds of energy, sentient and insentient are characterized in specific ways. Sentient has the innate quality of conscious awareness. Though consciousness itself may not be seen, wherever it exists, in all living forms of matter, you see growth. Even a tiny plant inhales and exhales, absorbs food and gives off waste, grows and decays. Sentient energy is the cause of the process. A plant which is not watered and cared for will wither. If you feel compassion for it and water again, see how it smiles! See the response!
Watch a newborn leaf attached to its mother tree. As it grows, it changes in size, texture, and color. Sometimes it starts out with pinkish veins which mature into mellow green; it gives off a fresh smell Connected to the tree, it is full of the sap of life. Once it drops from the tree, it becomes dry. Its conscious indweller has departed and only insentient matter remains.
This sentient energy in plants or animals may not appear to be as evolved as ours. It may seem to be merely a dim version of what we manifest, but it is consciousness. If plants or animals did not have consciousness, they would not move or grow. The procedure of the life cycle is the same in all. When that sentient in us departs from this body, the body becomes an empty shell, dry inanimate matter.
Consciousness in the main criterion of all sentient energy which is known as atma. Where we don’t see consiousness, that is called insentient matter, or pudgala, that which fillls up (pud) and empties (gaka). It is existing, not living. For example, the outer forms of earth, water, fire, and air are like shells; they are insentient substances. Their atoms do not manifest awareness, but they have certain properties such as color, form , taste, odor, and tangibility.
The vibrations of insentient are measurable, belonging to a mathematically precise material world. They rante from coarse to fine, of which the coarse can be observed, detected, or felt by our senses, while the fine are hard to detect. For example, billions of atoms and molecules are moving unseen in the air. Though they do not obscure our vision, they fill a whole atmosphere. At times, insentient vibrations have so much power that they may cover, influence, or change the level of a person’s mental state. Alcohol, marijuana, opium and other drugs are powerful forms of such inanimate energy. Once such an energy is allowed to penetrate the body, it starts working on the system and dominating the mind. Once it has gone so far as to burn the brain cells, it is difficult for atma to reassen dead cells and effect a positive change.
Assert itself it must, however, for the vibrations of sentient are not meant to remain dominated,influenced, and encased by matter. In the company of ignorance, greed, anger, or other impure matter- dominated states, sentient vibrates at a low frequenocy, limited by a distorted mind. Therein lies our work to refine the mind, to prepare it to be an accurate reflector and transmitter of brilliant light of human consciousness. That is the proacive role of atma while it is in this body.
Through gradual exposure to right knowledge through the consistent practice of meditation, atma prevails. It can change, bend melt, evaorate, or burn away the impure vibrations which condition negative mental states. Negativity is replaced by positivity, and eventually, the vibrations of sentient, which are immaterial and therefore immeasurable, claim their innate capacity to extend outward infinitely, embracing the entire universe of life.
Once the vibrations of atma are purified to this highest degreee, they are, really speaking, radiations of pure energy. The human mind is merely a tiny portion of this mighty power. Just as the sun gives off rays of warm light and nourishes the universe, so purified atma rediates from, its equanimous center beams of universal love and nourishes life with peace and bliss.
Motion and Rest
In addition to matter which is tangible, there are four other classifications of insentient energy which are intangible. They are abstract principles: movement, rest space, and time.
Both soul and matter function and rest gives rise to an alternating process, serving the function of balance in the material world. With only motion, there would be no gravitational pull, and with only rest, nothing would move. Both principles are merely auxiliary causes to the actual moment and rest of soul and matter. What actually initiates the process is the impact created and received by particles perpetually alternating between movement and rest. They are perpetually striking each other and setting off a chain reaction, like the chimes of china. The result of this impact is reflected in the continuous recycling of nature’s elements, in the process of molecules joining together and separating from one another ad infinitum.
Whereas the insentient process has no aim to its movement other than the integration and disintegration of molecules, sentient has a direction. Soul energy wants to sprout upward like a flame until it has reached its destination of freedom. When sentient moves, it takes the direction of its life’s quest-to uncover its reality, to live in a state of complete knowledge, to reverl its blissful loving nature. Its upward movement comes to rest only when it attains its highest peak, its point of fruition of liberation. For that it has to complete its mission, fulfill its commitment to the world of living beings, and smooth all the rough edges of heart.
Space
According to this ancient philosophy, space is that which gives space to all substances, allowing them to move and evolve and live according to their own nature. It applies to the internal sace as well as to ther external world. In meditation, you become aware of your inner space, your inner life. You touch it when you touch your breath. Inwardly you feel the peace which comes with the increasing of spacious space you feel your entire body to be filled with this feeling Naturally you allow yourself too transcend the awareness of bodily boundaries and to create expansive space all around you. You drop the walls, barriers, forms and feel yourself merging with all life. You feel the living connection between you and all living beings.
In your awareness, the clutter is cleared away. Nothing remains to fight for; there is no tug of war between opposing viewpoints. You merge and blend with all in infinite space. This is the experience which the philosophy is leading you to-to feel oneness. This is the experience of individuality-as indivisible and indestructible, merged in the bliss of having opened your space to universal space, of having opened you life to the life in all.
Time
When you go on this transcendent level, you are not measuring or noticing time, and you are not feeling the bounds of body. The function and power of these two are no longer controlling you. Just as to the sun, there is no such thing as darkness, so to you. Living in you pure nature, there is no limitation of any kind. You are experiencing your immortal essence. Only on the worldly existence level, relative to the process of composition and decomposition of molecules, does time exist as a sequence. Times relative, relative to your naya, your viewpoint, your perception. When you are engaged in something you love to do, time seems very short or nonexistent, and when you are doing something you do not like, time seems to drag. So you have to know from which level you are viewing life and then there is no quarrel as to whether time does or does not exist.
Thought becoming aware of these five categories of insentient energy-matter, motion, rest space, and time-you come to realize that only the indweller is conscious, using these five to further its spiritual evolution. Knowing this, you will watch carefully the way each process you take in life can help you to break your fetters and flow in a purposeful direction. You will choose that process or that path which will become conducive to your growth. When it is right, you will have the unmistakable feeling of moving toward your destination. This is the result of directed movement of sentient energy. You will not circulate aimlessly in the world, but you will move with purpose and with a deep sense of your relationship with the universe.
Knowing Sentient from Insentient Energy | Distinguishing "T" from Not"I" | Realizing What You Are |Recognizing your Part in the Law of Karma | Songs